PREFACE

Directions: Follow the Long Island Expressway to Exit 67. At the first intersection turn north toward the lake. The Yaphank Historical Society is first house on the left on the north side of the lake.

Access: Access to the non-digital records of the Yaphank Historical Society is arranged by appointment only.

Requirements: Researchers are required to wear gloves when handling records. A photocopy machine is not available, but researchers are welcome to take photos with mobile devices. Personal items will be checked at the door. Researchers may take notes on a mobile device or with paper and pencil.

Meetings: Third Thursday of the month (except December and January) at 7:30 pm at the Robert H. Hawkins House on Yaphank Ave., Yaphank, NY.

All roads lead to Yaphank, a small Long Island
community located in the center of Suffolk County, New York. Yaphank,
originally known as "Millville," began as a farming community in
1726. The original name referred to the location near the grist and sawmills
along the Carmans River. In 1845 Millville was renamed "Yaphank", a native American
word used in a 1692 land grant with William Smith.

Yaphank was a center for trade, transportation
and social welfare on Long Island. In the late nineteenth century its citizens
were associated with the Long Island Rail Road, and Harper's
Bazar. The Suffolk County Almshouse and Children's Home, the only county
social welfare system at the time, were located in Yaphank.

Before or during both World Wars,
Yaphank was an active community. During World War I soldiers on their way to
Camp Upton, located just east of Yaphank, stopped at the Yaphank train
station. One of these soldiers, Irving Berlin, wrote the song, "Yip, Yip
Yaphank." In 1935 the German American Settlement League purchased property for a summer camp to promote German culture. From 1936 to 1939 ethnic Germans from the New York metropolitan area were drawn to Camp Siegfried to organize and stage huge pro-Nazi rallies.

Brookhaven Town, Suffolk County and
New York State have recognized the significance of the history of Yaphank. New York State and Brookhaven Town designated a Historic District which includes several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Hawkins House (1850), St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (1853), and the Homan-Gerard House (1790).

In 1972 the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities sponsored a survey of old homes on Main Street in Yaphank. The survey was used to establish the Yaphank Historic District on the New York State Register of Historic Places. In 1974 a number of owners of the historic homes and other residents of Yaphank drafted a constitution and by-laws to formally establish the Yaphank Historical Society (YHS) to preserve Yaphank and the surrounding areas. From its inception the YHS has collaborated with Suffolk County and Brookhaven Town to restore historical residences and provide a venue for community activities, such as Victorian teas, historical dramatizations, a Halloween Haunted House, and historical educational opportunities for both adults and children.

The records of the Yaphank Historical Society include: 1) primary sources, such as donations of family records, manuscripts, letters, diaries, maps, books, photographs, posters, postcards, and daybooks from the early nineteenth century through the early twenty-first century and 2) secondary sources, such as newspaper clippings and articles about the Yaphank community, covering the time period from 1875. Many secondary sources were collected through research conducted by the YHS historian. The records primarily cover people, events, organizations and places in Yaphank, NY.

The record series, People, includes information about people who lived or worked in Yaphank or people who influenced the history of Yaphank since the early eighteenth
century. Files are organized by the name of the person.

The record series, Residences, includes information about the homes, estates or institutions where people lived in Yaphank since the early eighteenth century. Some of the residences have been occupied over time; others were destroyed or abandoned. Some of the records in this series are historical residences that have been restored by the Yaphank Historical Society alone or in conjunction with Suffolk County or Brookhaven Town. Files are organized by the names of the owners or the name of the institution.

The record series, Geographic Locations, includes documentation pertaining to physical locations in Yaphank, in addition to geographic resources like maps and surveys. Files are organized by the name of the place, region, road or document format, such as maps.

The record series, Commercial and Non-Profit Organizations, includes files related to commercial businesses
and secular non-profit organizations. Documents pertaining to historical mills, municipal services, local transportation and
businesses and business support organizations are included. The collection includes some records that can be traced back to 1726.

The record series, Historical Events, covers all resources that reflect the general history of the area and what was happening in Yaphank at a particular time in history. Files are ordered by the historical period in time.

The record series, Yaphank Historical Society, includes the records created by the YHS since 1972.
The records describe organizational activities, awards, fundraisers, restoration activities, financial records, acquisitions,
donations and educational programs.

P e o p l e

The file series includes information about prominent people in Yaphank from
1726- present. The files are organized by the last name of the person. More
detailed and comprehensive records are held for the following people:

Mary Louise Booth was the author of the 1859 publication, History of the City of New York, and the first editor of the magazine, Harper's Bazar. She
translated French to English and worked for the New York Times in New
York City. The file includes a timeline history, photos and copies of
photos of Booth and her home, copies of newspaper clippings from 1876-1976,
record of the house donation, copies of the 1889 surrogates court record and
the death certificate, genealogy and biographical information, copy of the 1870
census, the will of Anne W. Wright, and copies of letters with transcriptions
from 1865 and 1872 from President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William H.
Seward, respectively. Also included is a copy of A Little Book of Friends, by
Harriet Prescott Spofford, published in 1916.

Richard
C. Chapin was the pastor of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and the author of Little
Susy's Church. The file contains correspondence; copies of emails from
Vicar Chapin; a copy of his book, a 1988 manuscript and a CD; church
newsletters; photos; a 1980 newspaper article.

Robert Hawkins was known as "Blind Robert." The file contains cemetery
photos, copies of news articles, an obituary, maps of Yaphank, the Hawkins
family crest and two genealogical records: A Hawkins Genealogy 1635-1939:
Record of the Descendents of Robert Hawkins of Charlestown, Massachusetts by Ralph Clymer Hawkins (1987) and A Hawkins Genealogy Supplement Volume II:
Record of the Descendents of Robert Hawkins of Charlestown, Massachusetts compiled
by Susan H. Carmiencke and Bayard C. Carmiencke (2001).

Alonzo P. Homan was Yaphank's Market Man.
He took advantage of the Long Island Rail Road to send small game, poultry and
eggs to the Fulton Street Market from 1862-1908.
The file contains a biography, photographs, receipts, and bills from 1862-1908.

Charles E. Howell was a Yaphank businessman. The file
contains photos of Howell's store, an 1897 store advertisement, a biography of
his father, Charles R. Howell (1840-1864), who fought with the 2nd NY Cavalry Company C in
the Civil War, a Howell genealogy, and correspondence from the grandson of
Charles R. Howell, Ralph D. Howell. Also included in the file are the 1973
Building-Structure Inventory Form for the Hawkins-Howell-Overhoff house c.
1884, and a copy of a 1916 accounts receivable record for the Charles E. Howell
Fine Groceries and Dry Goods store.

Henry
P. Kovarik was a Czech immigrant known as the poet laureate of Yaphank and
author of 170 poems and two books, Concept of a Bible for Our Times in
Sententious Poetry (1968) and National Bicentennial U.S.A. The
file includes his writings, some of which are in Czech with
transcriptions, correspondence, photos, poetry, newsletters, newspaper
clippings and the 1973 Building-Structure Inventory Form for the
DeLaMarca-Kovarik house.

Christian
Krabbe was an immigrant from Denmark who opened a real estate office in Yaphank
in the early 1900s. He invented the Glory Horn for Thomas Edison's phonograph.
He was also an insurance agent, a Vice-President of the
Peoples National Bank in Patchogue and the Brookhaven Town Tax Assessor.
He imported a pair of mute swans from Denmark for Yaphank's lakes. The
file includes a biography, correspondence, copies of newspaper
articles, and real property records such as a 1917 tax summons and complaint
and bills and payment records.

Leslie
R. Marchant, son of Judge Marchant, was a Yaphank builder. He was responsible for
building many of the Suffolk County high schools
including Port Jefferson, Patchogue, and Bellport, most of the local telephone companies
and the Greenport Oyster Factory. In Yaphank he built the
Yaphank School (1926), the Yaphank Garage (1937) and the Gameskeeper’s Cottage (1941)
on the Homan-Gerard property. He is also credited with rebuilding Stony Brook Village from 1940-1942.

The file contains newspaper clippings, a 2012 CD with photographs, copies
of photos and a painting of Judge Marchant and his wife, Ada Marchant. Also in the file are
1) a transcription of an interview with Jean Carol Marchant, daughter of
Leslie and Mildred Marchant and granddaughter of Ada Homan Marchant and Judge
Fredrick P. Marchant and 2) a 1942 autobiography of Betty Marchant, daughter of
Leslie and Mildred Marchant and 3) Leslie R. Marchant’s workbook of jobs, "Contracts Performed 1930-1942".

Frederick
P. Marchant was a Justice of the Peace in Yaphank. He also served on the Brookhaven Town Board for 17 years.

Photograph copy of the Dongan Patent for the Town of Brookhaven dated December 27, 1686.
It provided the foundation for Brookhaven Town Government. The Patent photograph hung in the office of Frederick P.
Marchant when he was Justice of the Peace.

Paintings
of Samuel F. Norton and his wife, Eliza Norton, were restored by the Yaphank
Historical Society. The paintings hang in the south parlor of the Hawkins
house.

The
file contains: before and after photos of Samuel and Eliza to document
the restoration process; records of the Norton-Mannino house including a
history of the property ownership from 1842-1970; correspondence and a
description of the property and its use; Historic Buildings Evaluation for the
Norton House; Building-Structure Inventory Form; history of the donation of the
paintings of Samuel and Eliza Norton.

Archibald Weeks wrote the lyrics for the Cornell University Alma Mater. The
file includes original letters and transcriptions (1827-1942) and
documents about the Weeks family members including: Archibald C., Francis,
Reginald, Susan Amelia, Laura and Clara. Several daguerreotypes and copies of
photographs, a deed, the original and a transcription of Susan Amelia Weeks'
1887, 1888, and 1895 diaries, obituaries for Archibald and Clara Weeks, a genealogy, lyrics for
the Cornell Alma Mater, and an article by Richard Chapin about Francis W.Weeks
are included in the file. Other items in the collection include the
Susan Maria Weeks' 1808 embroidery and Notebook 1850-1876 (recorded the deaths of family members and
President Abraham Lincoln), an 1880 autograph book from the Yaphank School, a
50th anniversary book for Joseph and Julia Weeks Lawless, a 1912 bridal shower
book, the Bible of the Family of James Huggins Weeks and Susan Maria Weeks,
and a photo with the prose and poetry of Harriet Page Weeks Hawkins.

Clara,
author of the 1888 publication, The Story of a China Plate, was the daughter of
William and Mary Croswell Weeks and the granddaughter of James and Susan
Weeks. She was known in Yaphank as "Aunt Clara" and raised four
children from the Suffolk County Children's Home. The file contains a brief
biography, photos, an obituary, correspondence, and the 1973 Building-Structure
Inventory Form for Clara's home known as the "Lilacs." Also in the
file are copies of newspaper articles, a floor plan for the Octagon house, and an
inventory of the items in the "Lilacs" after the death of Clara Weeks
in 1929. In addition, a 1911 Buffalo Pottery plate of the Blue Willow pattern and a Kessinger
rare book reproduction of the original 1888 edition of The Story of a China Plate are
also included in the collection.

R e s i d e n c e s

The Robert H. Hawkins house is the best example of mid-nineteenth century Victorian
architecture in Yaphank. The file includes the house history, family
genealogy, floor plan, restoration photos, articles, reports and a list of the
property owners between 1826 -1966. Specifically, the record includes 1) the
brochure, "Historic Sites in Yaphank" by the Yaphank Historical
Society (YHS), 2) copy of the YHS founding document, 3) the Building Structure
Inventory Form 1978, 4) the National Register of Historic Places Inventory Form
1984, 5) 1972 survey of the property, and 6) an inventory of the Robert H.
Hawkins house after his death.

The
Mary Louise Booth house, restored in 2010, is the birthplace of Mary Louise
Booth, author of the 1859 publication, History of the City of New York, and
the first editor of the magazine, Harper's Bazar. The file
includes 1) copies of newspaper and magazine articles, 2) photos of Mary Louise
Booth, the 1998 relocation and the 2010 restoration, 3) the Building Structure
Inventory Form from 1973 and 1979, 4) a copy of the deed recorded in April
1829, 5) history of the property owners from 1829-1942, 6) the Booth House
Furniture Plan, and 7) an inventory of house contents before the restoration.

A collection of artifacts from the Mary Louise Booth House includes: photos of the house,
some furnishings, wallpaper samples, a small bottle and an undated Christmas card.

The
Octagon House was built in 1848 when the octagon configuration was a popular
design for buildings. The file includes 1) articles about the history
of the Octagon House, 2) copies of newspaper clippings from 1887, 3) interior
and exterior photos of the Octagon House on East Main Street, 4) copies of
photos of the Weeks family members, 5) undated land deed, 6) floor plan of the
Octagon House, 7) Weeks genealogy and a biography of William. J. Weeks, 8)
Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University 1890-1900, 9) alumni records
from the Yale class of 1844, and 10) correspondence to acquire a copy of the
William J. Weeks diaries.

Before 1870, each town in Suffolk
County managed a poor house for the residents of the town. In 1870, Suffolk
County established a county-wide poor house in one institution located in
Yaphank in central Brookhaven Town.

The Suffolk County Poor House, as it was originally known,
was established to care for the poor.
According to the Public Works Administration publication, The End of Journey's End,(large PDF) the Poor House became a catch-all for the impoverished as
well as criminals, "lunatics," and "cripples." In 1929 New
York State mandated that all institutions known as a "poor house" or
an "almshouse" change the name. As a result, the Suffolk County
Almshouse changed its name to the Suffolk County Home.

The file at
the Yaphank Historical Society includes: copies of newspaper articles from
1875-2000, an inventory of the graves in the Almshouse Cemetery 1871-1953, 1878
correspondence from Superintendent Weeks about the Almshouse scandal, and
copies of photos of the 1) Almshouse and barn, 2) murals in the Almshouse, and
3) the Almshouse staff in 1898.

The
Smith Estate was home to Eleanor Jones Smith (1804-1884) and William Sydney
Smith and their children, Robert Russell and Amelia.

The
file includes copies of newspaper clippings from 1975, copies of
photos, and copies of the 1980 publication, "Longwood A History" by
Jean C. Lauer, the New York State Register filing, and correspondence with
Brookhaven Town and a copy of Golden Anniversary Memento, published by Eleanor Jones Weeks in 1873.

Captain
William Phillips was an officer in the American Revolution and served under
William Floyd. The house, the second of which was built on the site, is located on the Talmadge Trail, where Benjamin
Talmadge rested and watered his horse.

The
file contains: copies of photographs of the Phillips family, the
original deed for the property; documents and articles related to the house, land,
and preservation including a copy of the 1870 land purchase agreement for the
Suffolk County Almshouse and the 1908 will of Philetus Phillips; newspaper
clippings; correspondence; a 1796 deed for Dayton Phillips; family genealogies
for Van Horn, Phillips, Buckingham, and Corwin.

The 1816 daybook of William Phillips, son of Captain Phillips,
is available in the records for Squire William Phillips.

The
Swezey- Avey House was the home of mill owners, Christopher, Daniel and Van
Ransellar Swezey. The original house with a stone foundation was built in the
early 1700s. A Victorian addition was erected c. 1844.

The
Homan-Gerard House, built by Daniel Homan in the Federal Style in 1790, was
originally the home of a mill owner, John Homan. The E.L. Gerard family lived
in the house from c.1873-1919. The home is being restored by Suffolk County
Historic Services and the Yaphank Historical Society.

The file also includes the following Educational Power Point Presentation:
The Homan-Gerard House: A History.

The
file on this 18th century Dutch colonial house includes newspaper articles, the 1973
Building-Structure Inventory Form, and the New York State Historic Trust
Statewide Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings.

A
1930s paste book was found in the Herbert-Foley House. The file
includes the paste book with newspaper clippings for the time period, photos,
the Building-Structure Inventory Form for the Herbert House, and a 1944-1945
tax receipt. Also included is a photograph album, 1938-2000, with interior and exterior photos of the residence.

The Homan-Vanderbilt-Grace Estate is a 160 acre property
on Middle Island Road. Mordecai Homan owned the property in the 1800s,
E.W. Vanderbilt summered there in the early 1900s and W.R. Grace of the Grace Shipping Line
kept it as a game preserve for hunting in the 1930s. The file contains a 1915 map that shows
the property, photographs, and news articles. The Grace Line history,
"Life in a Small Town", by Herschel Cozine tells of life on the Grace Estate
while his father worked as the caretaker there.

S c h o o l h o u s e s

The
file contains photos, postcards, copies of newspaper clippings, articles by
Thomas R.Bayles, and the Directory of Public Schools 1929-1930 by New York
State. The file also contains the Octagon School Class Register 1857 - 1868.

The school property was donated by Mary Walters in memory of her husband,
Charles E. Walters, chairman of the Yaphank Board of Education for twenty years. The file
contains early photos and coloring books, created by Yaphank children, of historical
places in Yaphank.

C h u r c h e s

The
file contains church newsletters between 1943-1995; newspaper articles
from 1953-1985; a copy of A History of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church-
Little Susy's Church; photographs; documents including the
Building-Structure Inventory Form from 1973 and 1979, the recommendation to
list St. Andrew's on the New York State Register of Historic Places, a deed
from 1872, an undated list of church members, a list of clergy who have served
at St. Andrew's and land sale/ transfer records; correspondence.

The
Yaphank Presbyterian Church was built by Charles Woodhull of Sayville, NY. The
file contains photos, newspaper clippings, church newsletters from
1957 and 1958, a program for a theatrical production in 1959, a history of the
church on the 100th anniversary. Also in the file are the Building-Structure
Inventory Form from 1973 and the 1958 record of the name change for the church.

G e o g r a p h i c L o c a t i o n s

The
records are organized by each house in the district and includes articles,
and a 1974 photo album of these historic homes. It also includes: the 1973 Building-Structure Inventory Form;
the 1973 Historic & Natural Districts Inventory Form; maps including a
Bowe-Albertson map of the Yaphank Historic District with a list of properties;
a 1974 Historic Resource Survey Manual by the New York State Division for
Historic Preservation; the Town of Brookhaven brochure, Town of
Brookhaven Procedures & Guidelines for Property Owners in Historic
Districts & Transition Zones, correspondence and two booklets,
Longwood Long Ago: The Story of Coram, Gordon Heights, Middle Island,
Yaphank, Ridge & Lake Panamoka, by Suzanne Johnson and The
Early Years in Middle Island, Coram Yaphank and Ridge, by Thomas R.
Bayles.

The file contains 1)
copies of emails with a record of stone inscriptions for persons buried in the
Yaphank Cemetery going back to the year 1806, 2) photos of cemetery monuments
taken from 2006-2009, 3) Yaphank Union Cemetery, 4) copies of news articles and
5) a notebook entitled, "Yaphank Cemetery Association presentation to the
Yaphank Historical Society Nov. 16, 2006" which includes lists of
interments in the following cemeteries:

The file includes: copies
of newspaper clippings from 1880-2008, copies of photos from 1900-2009,
correspondence concerning repairs for the Lower Lake dam and 2001 and 2007
environmental documents such as the Draft Plan to Eradicate the Invasive
Species, Variable Leaf Watermilfoil and Carolina Fanwort from Upper Lake and
Lower Lake in the Carmans River Watershed. In addition, the file includes
publications of the Coalition to save the Yaphank Lakes, 2008 minutes of the
Carmans River Task Force, as well as two books 1) The Carmans River
Story: A Natural and Human History by Pamela Borg and Elizabeth Shreeve
(1974) and 2) Canoeing the Carmans River by Robert P. Long and William
and Barbara Wilhelm.

The
Nature Trail and Sanctuary is a popular location for geocaching. The filing
series includes information about sites on the trail, photos, brochures,
reports and maps. Examples include the undated brochure, Carmans River
Nature Trail and Sanctuary by the Yaphank Historical Society, photo images of
trail markers or locations in the Sanctuary such as the Weeks Octagon house
foundation (1848), Weeks Pond, the Homan-Gerard Mill site, the
Cranberry bog, the John Homan house. The file also includes 1) the Phase I
Cultural Resource Survey Report for Suffolk County Department of Parks,
Recreation and Conservation and the New York State Division of Historic
Preservation - Southaven County Park (1990), 2) a description of
the Octagon house and Cranberry bog, 3) a list of graves in the
Buckingham-Homan Cemetery and 4) a map of the Nature Trail which
highlights the Homan-Gerard house, the Mary Louise Booth house, the Buckingham
Cemetery, the foundation of the Octagon house and the Cranberry bog.

The German American Settlement League bought the James and Henry Coombs homestead in Yaphank in 1935 to establish a summer camp for children. In 1936 the German American Settlement League received funding from the German American Bund. Additional property was purchased in 1937.
The Long Island Rail Road Sunday Special brought weekend visitors from Brooklyn and Queens to Yaphank to participate in pro-Nazi rallies. Local businesses at first welcomed the business generated by the weekend crowds. However, they soon became disenchanted by the extraordinary number of people who came to the rallies and overran the village. The weekend visitors marched down Main Street bearing flags with swastikas. Many locals suspected subversive activities and investigations were initiated by the FBI.

Pro-Nazi weekend rallies reached a peak in 1938, but dropped dramatically in 1939 after Hitler invaded Poland. In 1940 the German American Settlement League, under new leadership, became independent of the Bund. Ethnic Germans from New York City continued to buy into the German American Settlement League to build summer cottages. In the 21st century the German American Settlement is a year-round residential community and home to families of all ethnic backgrounds.

The file contains photos, copies of news articles, the history of homeowners in Siegfried Park.

Camp
Upton, just east of Yaphank (now Brookhaven National Laboratory) was
established as a training camp for military recruits during World War I and
again served the same function during World War II. Irving Berlin, composer of
"God Bless America" and many other songs, was an army recruit at Camp
Upton during World War I. The file includes brochures, photos,
postcards, a 2012 CD file with Camp Upton photos, newspaper clippings, and
correspondence from 1918 and 1919.

The
file includes surveys and maps of Yaphank, Brookhaven Town planning
maps, topographical sewer district maps (1963), 3rd legislative district map
(1993), the Atlas of Suffolk County published by E. Belcher Hyde (1909),
and the J. Chace Jr. map of Suffolk County.

County
Road 21 is Main Street in Yaphank. The Yaphank Historical Society was
established in response to a proposal to widen the road. The file
includes a 1989 traffic study and documentation from a 1970 lawsuit filed on
behalf of some of the residents on Main Street.

The file includes the by-laws of the Yaphank Grange No. 1349 Patrons of Husbandry, the Manual of Subordinate Granges of the Patrons of Husbandry, the article, "History of Grange Hall", photos, programs from performances at Grange Hall, an order for catering at Yaphank Gardens, advertisements, newspaper clippings, the music book, Grange Melodies, published by the National Grange of Patrons of Husbandry for the Granges of the United States (1915), and the 1973 Building-Structure Inventory Form.

The file includes photos, copies of deeds, correspondence, newspaper clippings, reprints of articles, surveys and reports, a Gerard genealogy, bills and biographical information. Specific highlights include: photos of the Homan-Gerard Mill, the John Homan house, the Yaphank Mill, and Edward L. Gerard; correspondence with Suffolk County and Brookhaven Town; deeds for the grist mill, saw mill, fulling mill and bolting mill from 1821; land deeds from 1826 and 1827; a 1995 report from Brookhaven Town; the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Homan-Gerard House and Mills dated 1988; a history and chronology from 1726-1988; the Building-Structure Inventory Form; biographical information about Edward L. Gerard, bills from Gerard's Yaphank Mill; floor plan and outbuilding descriptions.

Several reprints are also available in the file: 1) "Edward Livingston Gerard" from the 1875 publication, Yaphank As It Is and Was, 2) The Early Years in Middle Island, Coram Yaphank and Ridge, by Thomas R. Bayles, and 3) Early Mills, Roads and Industries in Brookhaven Town, by Thomas R. Bayles.

The file contains: copies of
photographs, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) timetables from 1884-1903; newspaper
clippings 1964-1981; postcards; commuter tickets 1868 and 1895; LIRR freight bill;
reports and publications including 1) List of Hotels and Boarding Cottages on
Long Island issued by LIRR in 1887, 2) Report of the Board of Directors of the
LIRR to the Stockholders 1845, 3) Annual Report 1892, 4) History of LIRR
1834-1974, and 5) "Along the Track" by the LIRR in celebration of 150
years of service 1834-1973; map of the LIRR system 1910; a rail spike from the
grand opening of the Brookhaven Rail Terminal 2011.

In the late 1700s Christopher Swezey purchased Robinson's Mill on the Upper Lake in Yaphank.
Eventually the mill was passed on to his sons, Van Rensaeller and Daniel Downs Swezey. After the death of D.D Swezey
the Mill was sold at auction and moved across the river away from the Swezey homestead.
It was operated for the next 34 years as the King and Edwards Mill. It burned in 1914. The Swezey-Avey house stayed
in the family until it was sold to the Town of Brookhaven in 1965.

The file contains: a description of Robinson Mill and
Captain Robinson's house c. 1726; copy of correspondence about the saw mill;
copies of photos of the water gates, old saw mill, Swezey's Pond, the Swezey
Mill site and the Upper Mill Dam; newspaper clippings, obituaries for Van
Ransellar Swezey and John Webber; the Building-Structure Inventory Form 1973;
copy of 1893 Town of Brookhaven records; postcards of the mill site; two
reprints of publications by Thomas R. Bayles, Yaphank and Its Early Mills and Mills of Yaphank, Vicinity.

The
file includes an undated copy of the by-laws of the Yaphank Chamber of
Commerce, minutes of meetings (1966-1970), correspondence along with membership
lists and membership cards, and the incorporation filing dated 1957.

According to Images of America - Yaphank, the fire department
property was donated by the Walters family. The file contains the 1926 constitution and by-laws,
photographs of the old Octagon Fire House 1926, copies of photos from 1939, newspaper articles, a
commemorative plate and drinking glasses, and two booklets, 50th Anniversary Antique Parade and
Muster-Yaphank Fire Department 1926-1976, and 25th Anniversary Ladies Auxiliary of the Yaphank Fire Department 1951-1976.

United
States regulations in 1917 & 1918 required that radio communications must be
in the hands of U.S. corporations. Radio Central America was founded as a
subsidiary of General Electric in 1919 and located in Rocky Point, NY. The file includes 1977 newspaper
clippings, photos released by RCA and newsletters.

H i s t o r i c a l E v e n t s

The
file contains the book, The Colonial and Revolutionary History of Central
Brookhaven, a looseleaf with a bibliography by Paul P. Alessi (1978). and Early Settlers of Long Island & Their Participation in the American War for Independence.

Yaphank
is located just west of the former Camp Upton. The Yaphank Historical Society
collects artifacts and ephemera from the local community that documents
historical events. The file, World Wars, includes: a card to
encourage people to buy War Savings Stamps during World War I, letters dated in
1942 and 1944, a Kodak verichrome film metal packcase, photos, and text and
color reproductions of paintings to depict uniforms, arms and equipment used by
the United States military from 1781-1963. The file also contains books
including, the 1919 publication, Same Old Bill, eh Mable! by Edward
Streeter.

There
are two booklets in this file. They are: Longwood Long Ago: The Story of
Coram, Gordon Heights, Middle Island, Yaphank, Ridge and Lake Panamoka by
Suzanne Johnson (2004) and By gone Years in Middle Island, Coram, Yaphank
and Ridge by Thomas R. Bayles (1975). The file also contains
copies of newspaper articles and newsletters from 1878 - 2008, photos and the
Undated National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form for
the Robert Hawkins homestead.

Y a p h a n k H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y

This
file, organized by year from 2001-2010, includes membership application
forms, membership lists, minutes of the executive board meetings, agendas and
minutes of the monthly general meetings, correspondence, newsletters and the
New York State and Local Annual Sales and Use Tax returns and liability
insurance documentation.

Also available in a separate files
are the constitution and by-laws, photos, minutes of meetings, and YHS
correspondence, and a membership database.

The file includes negatives, slides and photos of Yaphank Historical Society events. Documentation is also available for the Victorian Holiday Dinners from 1996-2011 and the Christmas House Tours for 1992 and 2006-2008.
Digital files in the series are available for:

Documentation includes the monthly
treasurer's report, bank statements, invoices, records of membership dues
payments, contracts between YHS and Suffolk County from 1996-2009,
purchases for restoration projects and YHS events, grants and donations, current
tax and insurance records.

There
is a collection of 40 CDs with digital photos that document the restoration of
the Robert H. Hawkins House and the Mary Louise Booth House. The CDs also
provide digital access to documents such as deeds, news articles, wills, old
obituaries and some Brookhaven Town records. The digital files include CDs that capture local events in 1937, 1988 and 1998:

The
file contains a descriptive inventory with an assessment of the condition of
each item of historical art, furnishings and/or household items maintained in
each YHS restored house. Data pertaining to provenance, conditions of donation /loan, digital images, and disposition status are included in the file when
appropriate. There is an index to the acquisition numbering system.

William Herbert Family Collection - The William Herbert family donated 23 3"x3" reels
of vintage 8 mm films. The films feature cartoons, news and sporting events from
approximately 1928-1956. Some of the titles in the collection include:

Mickey Mouse

Steamboat Willie 1928

Wild West Mickey

Little King 1933-1934

Underwater Champions 1937

Water Babies 1937

Louis vs. Schmeling 1936

News Parade- US Marines Capture Tarawa

Richard C. Chapin Collection -

Independent Newspapers 1856 (3)

The Long Island Historical Journals

Walls Have Tongues, Oyster Bay

Steel Rails to the Sunrise

U.S. History 1835

U.S. Geography

Gary Ralph Collection -

J. Chace Map of Suffolk County 1858

Photograph of Original 1686 Dongan Patent

Project photographs of builder Leslie R. Marchant

Weeks Family Collection -

92 photographs of Yaphank c. 1915, by James E. Weeks.

Practical Grammar or the French Tongue, by M. De Levizac 1835;
(Belonged to Susan Weeks and donated by Richard Chapin.)

Outline of Political Economy 1825, (Donated by Richard Chapin.)

Story of a China Plate, by Clara Winslow Weeks 1888; (Donated by Greta Ackerman.)